People know much
about Teddy Roosevelt, and some about Alice Roosevelt his
daughter. But
few know much about the two women who were married to Theodore-his
first wife
of only 3 1/2 years, Alice, and his second wife, Edith-the woman who
admired
"Thee" with all his strengths and faults since they were playmates
together
at the ages of three and six respectively. She was the
one controlling force in Theodore's life of risk taking.
Edith
succeeded in doing something numerous First Ladies prior to her had
tried and
failed to do--a major renovation of the White House creating the basic
look
of today.
Woodrow,
Ellen, and Edith
Wilson
It is rare
to feel true love once in a
lifetime, but Woodrow Wilson was twice blest as his wife of thirty
years,
Ellen, bore him children, inspired him through his educational career,
and
finally helped him to the Presidency. Her untimely death during
Wilson's
first term, almost caused the President to resign. But Woodrow found
another
helpmate, and Edith guided Woodrow and his Presidency through war and
severe
sickness, and finally was his strength until death. Audiences will
learn that
Woodrow Wilson was not the staid college professor, but a man of deep
emotions.
Warren
and Florence Harding AND Calvin and Grace Coolidge
With nervous breakdowns, illicit love
affairs, an illegitimate child, and a record in the Senate of missing
1/3 of
the roll call votes, the past of Warren Harding doesn't seem to be the
right
mix to create one of the largest landslides in American history 61% to
35%. But
Warren had a
strong woman behind him in Flossie and was loved by the American
public. He
worked so very hard to be a good President and in his two years in
office had
several major successes. His stature didn't fall until after his death
and many
scandals.
"Silent Cal"
might be Mr. Coolidge’s nickname, but, although he was
reticent to speak, he
was full of humor, witticism, and had a meteoric political life brought
about
by hard work. The fact that his wife, Grace, once in Washington,
allowed her
effervescent personality shine through to the American people also
helped Cal--this
despite having to experience one of the saddest tragedies to occur to
any
Presidential couple.
Of the
many Presidential couples we
perform, we get a special pleasure from presenting The Hoovers
because
most people, even to this day, simply associate Hoover with Depression.
We
are proud to remind folks of the tremendous humanitarian services both
Hoovers rendered in their lifetimes, especially in the area of the
betterment
of children. The comment we hear most often is
You have given me an entirely
different outlook on Herbert and Lou
Hoover.
Franklin
and Eleanor Roosevelt
We tend to
remember President Franklin and First
Lady Eleanor, and why not as they were in those positions longer than
any other
couple. But sometimes forgotten are the two young people who met and
fell in
love and the years of triumphs and tragedies that led up to 1932 and
shaped
their personalities and their relationship. We focus more on this
private side
and how that affected their public lives.
As
Eleanor Roosevelt herself wrote:
“Men
and women who live together through long years come to know one
another's
failings, but they also come to know what is worthy of respect and
admiration
in those they live with and in themselves.”
When Harry
Truman left office in January
of 1953, he had one of, if not the, lowest public approval ratings of
any
modern President. Yet in the years that have passed, his statue among
historians and especially the American public has risen considerably,
until
Harry has become one of the most beloved Presidents of the modern era.
And
although Bess did her best to stay in the background, theirs was a
working
partnership throughout their 50 years of married life. The Wills make
the
Trumans come alive once again; you will laugh, you will remember the
times,
and you may even shed a tear.
Jack and
Jackie Kennedy, A Presidential
Press Conference
Since Jack
Kennedy was so well known for
his press conferences, we decided to present their life together in
that
format. I know you are thinking, "What else can you tell us about the
Kennedys that we don't already know". Probably not much, yet by
condensing
their 10 short years of marriage containing the numerous private and
public
joys, sorrows, tragedies, and moments of decision into 60 minutes, the
impact
of their lives together is intensified. As one recent audience member
commented
You made Camelot come alive again
!!
